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Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign F Auston Matthews to extension (4 years, $13.25M AAV)

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Twine Tickler said:
It's a different era that we live in nowadays. We haven't won a cup since there were more than 6 teams in the league. And all of the players who wore the jersey before him, despite having long playoff runs, still did not win shit.

Auston is very clearly the most talented Maple Leaf of all time. He will shatter all Leaf records by the end of this extension, and he will only be 31 by the end of it. I do not think calling him the greatest Leaf of all time is hyperbolic or disrespectful to any one who wore the jersey before him. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion on this. It is completely subjective

It may be fair to be skeptical, but that just seems to be the age we all seem to come to our senses and realize what is ultimately the most important. Maybe at that time he will find it most important to return home and establish a legacy in the states. That very well could happen. But the longer he stays with us, the more he will come to value his legacy as the greatest player to ever play for one of the most historic franchises in the NHL. I expect he will wear the C during this time, and he will really start to understand the value of being a career Leaf. I am by no means suggesting he will take a sweetheart deal in 5 years, but I do believe his priority will be to be a career Leaf. Which is all I can ask for as a fan TBH.

color me naïve, but I find it extremely encouraging that he decided to resign with us when he had every right to leave. He wants to be a Leaf. Which has not been the narrative that surrounded him for the last 5 seasons. For as long as he has been on this current deal, he was always set to bounce at the conclusion. He put that narrative to bed almost as soon as he was able to. That means something
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You want to call him the GOAT, go right ahead, I think he needs to do more in the playoffs for us. And maybe some of the players I mentioned "did not win shit" as you said, they still did more for us in the playoffs than Matthews has done so far. And LOL at writing off cups won when there were 6 teams in the league, we still had to win 2 rounds to win those cups, something this team has never been able to do and they did it against the other best teams at the time and did it several years in a row.

You think he'll "figure something out in 5 years", I think if he hasn't by now, there's zero reason to think he ever will.

You think he signed because he "wants to be a Leaf", I think the massive overpayment of a contract we signed him to for the ridiculous 4 year term may have something to do with it. I would even go so far as to say it's pretty naive to think otherwise.

Edit - I just wanted to add that that dynasty we had in the 60's that won 4 consecutive cups, sure it was "only" a 6 team league but they won 8 consecutive series in that stretch, how does that compare to our current team led by the man you call the GOAT?
 
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Gary Nylund said:
You want to call him the GOAT, go right ahead, I think he needs to do more in the playoffs for us. And maybe some of the players I mentioned "did not win shit" as you said, they still did more for us in the playoffs than Matthews has done so far. And LOL at writing off cups won when there were 6 teams in the league, we still had to win 2 rounds to win those cups, something this team has never been able to do and they did it against the other best teams at the time and did it several years in a row.

You think he'll "figure something out in 5 years", I think if he hasn't by now, there's zero reason to think he ever will.

You think he signed because he "wants to be a Leaf", I think the massive overpayment of a contract we signed him to for the ridiculous 4 year term may have something to do with it. I would even go so far as to say it's pretty naive to think otherwise.
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All of this.
 
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the one neat thing hear is that is that he'd only have to average 25 goals and 90 points a season over the next 5 years to become the franchise leader in goals and points (Marners got a good shot at points as well if he sticks around)

40 goal average would have him as the Leafs 1st 500 goal scorer (technically 1 goal off)

also only 12 goals and 33 points off the playoff leader in points and goals as well.

Could see some cool history in the making over the next few seasons.
 
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Mess said:
Connor McDavid is coming off a season where he scored 64 goals 153 points & has 5 X Art Ross (league scoring leader) 4 X Ted Lindsay (league MVP) + 3 X Hart trophies + 1 X Rocket Richard .

Leafs were put in a position to pay Auston Matthews more than McDavid (the best player on the planet) or let him walk away, because off the past actions of a now fired GM.

Auston AAV of $13.25 mil > McDavid $12.5 mil & his Cap % of 15.87 % > McDavid of 14.28 CH% beginning in 2024-25.

Only in Toronto would Matthews be viewed as more valuable and therefor more costly than McDavid.

The more you overpay your players the harder it is to win the Stanley Cup in a Salary Cap World.
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Mess the Leafs were put in a position to pay Auston more because McDavid doesn't expire for another 2 years and he signed his deal 6 years ago. That contract has no relevance in today's context. Simple.
 
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Mess said:
Connor McDavid is coming off a season where he scored 64 goals 153 points & has 5 X Art Ross (league scoring leader) 4 X Ted Lindsay (league MVP) + 3 X Hart trophies + 1 X Rocket Richard .

Leafs were put in a position to pay Auston Matthews more than McDavid (the best player on the planet) or let him walk away, because off the past actions of a now fired GM.

Auston AAV of $13.25 mil > McDavid $12.5 mil & his Cap % of 15.87 % > McDavid of 14.28 CH% beginning in 2024-25.

Only in Toronto would Matthews be viewed as more valuable and therefor more costly than McDavid.

The more you overpay your players the harder it is to win the Stanley Cup in a Salary Cap World.
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McDavid's last contract was signed wayyyy earlier. His next contract will shatter Matthews' 13.25 AAV
 
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Mess said:
Connor McDavid is coming off a season where he scored 64 goals 153 points & has 5 X Art Ross (league scoring leader) 4 X Ted Lindsay (league MVP) + 3 X Hart trophies + 1 X Rocket Richard .

Leafs were put in a position to pay Auston Matthews more than McDavid (the best player on the planet) or let him walk away, because off the past actions of a now fired GM.

Auston AAV of $13.25 mil > McDavid $12.5 mil & his Cap % of 15.87 % > McDavid of 14.28 CH% beginning in 2024-25.

Only in Toronto would Matthews be viewed as more valuable and therefor more costly than McDavid.

The more you overpay your players the harder it is to win the Stanley Cup in a Salary Cap World.
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When it comes to Matthews, we are quibbling about relative pennies of valuation.
Matthews at 13.25 is fine for an elite franchise center. He is also disposable if the Buds have a chance to sign McDavid in 2026-2027. If the leafs continue this path, they only give a NMC to a player that offers a discount. This goes for Willy and eventually Marner. Each of them, if they are paid in full with a NMC, could also be a viable jettison to acquire "THE GUY" and free up substantial cap amount if they aren't burning up the league.
IMO, an absent NMC is an understated boon to this team.
 
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IPS said:
Are you trying to say this was some kind of favorable situation Treliving walked into trying to negotiate against RFA's who got wildly overpaid and want the same for their UFA years?
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I read that the Leafs are a contending team with the best facilities and people, and he seems to have become the team's GM without any competititon, that's not so bad anyway
 
BraveCanadian said:
Wrong. This sets him up to take a long-term cushy retirement deal by signing again while he's still (hopefully) an upper level player at 30-31.
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How would going to the open market change that? You believe he would get less? That seems a little whacked.
 
IPS said:
The true mark of a real fan is acting as quasi-agent on an internet forum to justify your own players being wildly overpaid. That's what we all need to strive to be.
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Nah. We should clearly all strive to endlessly berate and make false statements about our players, team, GM, President, etc. on an internet forum, because some of the best players this franchise has ever seen had the nerve to sign fair, completely justified contracts.
 
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Notsince67 said:
When it comes to Matthews, we are quibbling about relative pennies of valuation.
Matthews at 13.25 is fine for an elite franchise center. He is also disposable if the Buds have a chance to sign McDavid in 2026-2027. If the leafs continue this path, they only give a NMC to a player that offers a discount. This goes for Willy and eventually Marner. Each of them, if they are paid in full with a NMC, could also be a viable jettison to acquire "THE GUY" and free up substantial cap amount if they aren't burning up the league.
IMO, an absent NMC is an understated boon to this team.
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Matthews new contract does not have an NMC? Has this been confirmed?
 
TIGERCOOL said:
From an outsider perspective it's natural that his health and relative performance last season are a major concern. That said - no one has more information about Matthews health than the team and more importantly Matthews himself. The team just committed 13.25 million of cap to him for four years. Matthews took a truncated contract; that comes with significant risk for his next contract if his new normal is 40 goals/80 points due to a chronic injury.

Matthews betting on himself with a shorter term deal is probably the best indication that last season was an anomaly. If he's wrong and this is his new normal we'll all be grateful that we're not paying him 13 million in his 32-35 year old seasons.
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Yeah I don’t mind the length. And you’re right, matthews betting on himself does give some confidence. But matthews has been confident before and a 60 goal center before, but that hasn’t translated to post season success. It’s time for him to step up.
 
leafs in five said:
Leafs should sign him imo
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He gave an interview yesterday I believe where he left the door open to leaving EDM when current contract expires. As long as that's a possibility, we should definitely be prepared for that as I'm pretty sure Toronto would be the place he would want to go, perhaps even the only team.

Can you imagine signing McD, then trading Matthews who would be signed for two more years at that point to fill other holes in the lineup? Might be our best shot at the cup, hard to see the current group getting it done.
 
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ACC1224 said:
How would going to the open market change that? You believe he would get less? That seems a little whacked.
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The plan is get the biggest dollars he can now - check.
Play at a high level until 30-31 - hopefully.
Cap rises in the meantime.
Cash in on a 7-8 year deal to take him to retirement at the highest possible number.

We're talking an extra 25-35 million here if it works out for him.
 
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